MUN conducting review to explore feasibility of law school

Memorial University is planning to explore the feasibility of setting up a law school, something last explored in 1987.

According to a news release Lynne Phillips, dean of the Faculty of Arts, will chair a committee that includes additional university membership, a representative of the provincial legal community and an external voice.

The review will be restricted to consideration of a faculty of law as a professional school, as opposed to a degree program or department of law. The review will also examine the demographics of existing Canadian law schools, current and future needs for more lawyers, and benefits to Memorial, among other goals.

MUN has previously considered adding a law school on two occassions.

The Harris Report, 1976, concluded that there was no demonstrated need for a law school at Memorial, and the Bruce Report, 1987, which endorsed a law school in principle, but not at that time.

Last year, the Law Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador and the provincial branch of the Canadian Bar Association supported a review of the concept of a faculty of law, a position later endorsed by the chief justice of Newfoundland and Labrador.

“It’s an appropriate time to again examine the feasibility of establishing a law school at Memorial,” said Gary Kachanoski, president and vice-chancellor. “It’s been 25 years since the university last reviewed this avenue, and the local legal community is supportive of another review.”

In addition to Phillips, the committee includes Morgan Cooper, Memorial’s director of Faculty Relations and a lawyer; Bert Riggs, archivist at the Centre for Newfoundland Studies Archives, QEII Library; Heather Clarke, PhD student in the Faculty of Business; Justice A.E. (Fonse) Faour, Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, Trial Division; and Peter MacKinnon, president emeritus and former dean of law, University of Saskatchewan.

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Brad

February 25, 2013 - 16:05

While a new law school sounds fine and dandy, don't get your hopes up. Law is NOT that easy to get into once you get out.
I know quite a few people who did useless BAs or BBAs that couldnt go anywhere in their career paths. Most of them ended up finding work outside of their fields. The ones that did, are making next to nothing as an articling clerk for years.
Don't waste your time or money, that goes for you too MUN.